The Sights of Rostov-on-Don

Rostov-on-Don, the centre of Rostov Region, is a comparatively young city. It is situated on the right bank of the river Don. Rostov-on-Don is the largest city not only in the North-Caucasus area, but the entyre Southern Russia.

Trade has been growing on over the centuries in Rostov. You can trace it by the architecture of the city: the most impressive architectural ensembles are those of financial and commercial companies built at the end of the 19^th century. Merchants from Italy, Persia, Greece, Turkey and other countries used to come here and found this city a proper place to stay for permanent residence. There were nearly 20 foreign consulates situated in the centre of the city.

Bolshaya Sadovaya Street is the compositional axis of the city centre. Academician of architecture Pomerantsev (the author of Moscow GUM buildings) created here a whole ensemble of buildings in the Russian Barocco style.

There are many other architectural monuments in the city. Among them are the magnificent buildings of the State Bank and the Higher School of Economics (also in Bolshaya Sadovaya Street), the Buildings of the Central Post Office, the Museum of Fine Arts, and the Cathedral built in the Russian – Byzantine style. The best construction of 1930s is the Drama Theatre.

The names of many Russian writers are connected with the history of Rostov: Pushkin, Korolenko, Gorky, Fadeev, Pogodin, Shaginyan. Many other outstanding people used to come or stay here: composer Rakhmaninov, artist Saroyan, poet Mayakovski, theatre producer Zavadsky.

Such is a town on the high bank of the Don, centre of the Don Cossacks area.

Task 4. Read Text 3 to answer the questions.

1. What do you know about another famous city founded by Peter the Great?

2. What do you know about life and activities of Chekhov?

3. Have you ever been to Taganrog?

4. What are your famous places in this city?

Text 3